Trust hadn't been gained overnight.
Neither had respect.
And yet, for all the skepticism that still lingered amongst the League, one individual had begun to view me in a new light.
Diana.
---
Watchtower's training room whirred quietly as I punched the impact-resistant combat dummy. It had been built to withstand Kryptonian strength, but after that last punch, the metal grumbled in distaste.
I let out a breath and hunched my shoulders, pushing my mind to stillness. Fighting the Dread Titan hadn't physically exhausted me, but something from the League's response lingered.
Their doubt.
Their hesitation.
Not fear no, they weren't afraid of me. Not yet.
But the line was thinning.
A voice pulled me from my thoughts.
"You're holding back."
I turned.
Diana stood at the edge of the training room, arms crossed, her expression unreadable. She wore her Amazonian training gear instead of her armor tight fitting, reinforced leather, showing more of her form than usual.
Not that I was gawking.
A lot.
"Always," I confessed, wiping sweat from my forehead. "It's safer that way."
She took a step closer. "For you, or for us?"
I looked her in the eye. "Both."
She regarded me for a moment, then grabbed a training sword from the nearby rack. "Then let's see how much you're holding back."
I grinned. "You sure about that?"
She raised the blade. "Scared to confront me?"
I laughed. "No. I simply don't wish to shatter your sword."
Her lips curled nearly a smile. Then she moved.
Quickly.
I hardly had a moment to respond before her knife whizzed through the air, straight for my side. I sidestepped, twisting just enough for it to scrape by, but she was already spinning around, landing a second blow.
I defended against it with my forearm strengthening my skin with a tiny portion of my ability. The blow still created a shockwave in the room.
Her eyes flickered with something curiosity.
"Good reflexes."
I stepped back, light on my feet. "You expected less?"
"I expected hesitation."
Diana lunged again, and this time, I caught the blade between my fingers.
Her grip tightened. Our gazes locked.
The air felt different.
Charged.
Neither of us moved for a long second.
Then, slowly, I let go.
She put down her sword. "You think too much," she said.
I groaned. "It's necessary."
She shook her head. "Not in battle."
She turned, returning the weapon to the rack. "You saved Superman. You saved all of us. And yet, you still bear the weight of their doubts."
I folded my arms. "So do you."
Diana hesitated. For a fraction of a second.
Then she nodded. "Yes."
Honesty. A quality in short supply, even among the League.
She passed by me, but as she went by, she put a hand on my shoulder a warm and firm touch, and brief.
"You don't have to fight alone," she said.
And then she was gone.
---
I stayed in the training room long after she left, running over the moment in my mind.
Diana wasn't like the others.
She didn't just see my power.
She saw me.
And that?
That was dangerous.
Because I was starting to see her, too.
---
**End of Chapter 16**